National Anthem – A Flawed Coming-Of-Age Story

Cineasts often look to expand the normalized canon of some crystalized mainstream imagery. One of them is the macho-dominated deep west of the United States, where cowboys are the majority, and the economy is based around cattle creation and farm activity. In the past, filmmakers like Chloe Zhao and Kelly Reichardt reimagined these stereotypes in The Rider and First Cow respectively, two films that brought nuances and complexity of the cities far from the rich metropolis. Luke Gilford is another director who aims to follow in their footsteps by offering a different look into that same territory in his feature directorial debut, National Anthem.

The story follows Dylan (Plummer), a twenty-one-year-old man who lives with his mother, Fiona (Robyn Lively), and younger brother in rural New Mexico. Working various construction sites and ranches, his hope was to raise enough money to buy an RV so he could escape that reality. Gilford’s premise uses the coming-of-age narrative archetype to insert the main character’s journey into a journey of self-discovery. As he goes to work on a ranch, Dylan meets a community of queer cowboys who work to defy the status quo imposed on them by much of the word. They are drag queens, trans bull riders, and participate in rodeos.

The subplots of National Anthem combine a conventional broken home story with the dilemma of leaving those who love and depend on us. Firstly, Plummer’s performance as Dylan delivers the presence the story needs. The character is shy and quiet but sweet and caring. Even though his physique may not fit into the conventional portrait of a countryman, he is still far from being like everyone else on the ranch. Dylan serves narratively like a non-conforming cowboy but is still more traditional than his community. He is accepted socially, but chooses not to. Meanwhile, characters like Sky (Lindley), the ranch owner, were kicked out of their house for being who they are. Lindley’s performance as Sky is simply enchanting, giving her heart while her voice is as welcoming as her presence.

While the film introduces a fascinating contrast that urges audiences to follow this new group, the script, however, only focuses on a small portion of its members. As a result, it contradicts the foundation of the group which was meant to be a community where everyone is accepted and loved. Most of its members are merely not developed or even presented, and serve to fill vacancies in that dynamic. Similarly, Fiona’s arc is one-dimensional and whose purpose appears solely to be as an antagonist for Dylan. Even though her issues with alcohol gives audiences something to distinguish her by, she is a thin character who only appears in moments where the film needs drama.

On a technical level, even with a subpar expansion, the film is more effective when constructing images. The cinematography by Katelin Arizmendi is bright and invests in plenty of close-ups, flares, and open shots. It portrays the freedom its characters experience when on the ranch, as opposed to Dylan’s small and dark home, where the lightning is shady and opaque. When Dylan is with his community, audiences are treated to a broad space where the sky is bright orange. This dichotomy gives depth to the film, and when it is on the bright side, its visuals and narrative thrive.

At the end of the day, National Anthem is an effective coming-of-age story when it focuses on its main character but lacks the dramatic aspects to have an impact.

still courtesy of Vortex Media

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Pedro Lima

Brazilian film writer. He is also a producer and executive producer for Zariah Filmes. Member of the International Film Society Critics Association (IFSCA), International Documentary Association (IDA), and Gotham and Media Film Institute.